Tennis champion Zina Garrison plans Detroit visit for NABJ convention

Former tennis star to host local tournament on Belle Isle

Zina Garrison Jackson of Houston, Texas, reaches to return the ball during her match against Spain's Conchita Martinez at the U.S. Open in New York Monday, Sept. 4, 1995.(Photo11: Elise Amendola, Associated Press)

Tennis champion Zina Garrison will be the celebrity host for the tennis tournament on Belle Isle next weekend as part of a national convention for black journalists.

The event begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday as part of the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention and career fair in Detroit. The conference starts Wednesday and ends Sunday for an estimated 3,000 journalists.

Detroit NABJ said in a news release Sunday it is celebrating Garrison on the 30th anniversary of her gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It has also been nearly three decades since Garrison became the first black woman since Althea Gibson to make the Wimbledon finals, according to the release.

The round-robin tennis tournament for intermediate players in Detroit features a $500 prize for the singles champion and a $500 prize for the doubles champion team. The entry fee is $25 for singles and $40 for doubles.

Registration is limited to NABJ registrants, but the event is open to the public. Tickets are $10. Buy tickets here.